Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on schools, analyzed its data to find the colleges where students work the hardest.

To come up with this ranking, Niche looked at the academic rigor and student workload at traditional four-year schools in the US.

It took the academic grade for each school based on the quality of the professors, academic achievements of incoming students, graduation rates, and student reviews of their academic experience. Niche also calculated a composite score of users' responses to questions pertaining to study habits, class attendance, homework, office hours and study sessions, and overall workload. Each factor was given equal weight and combined into Niche's final score out of 100.

Visit Niche for more college rankings, and read on to see the top 50 schools where students hit the books the hardest.

50. University of Virginia

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Charlottesville, Virginia

Niche score: 90

From day one, UVA students put in tremendous effort.

"You'll be working your [butt] off, but you should be learning, too," one freshman said.

A sophomore agreed: "The professors for the most part are extremely approachable, libraries are a great and beautiful option for studying, and classes are extremely difficult but worthwhile if you put the necessary time into them."

49. Emory University

"The workload is difficult, but there are exceptional professors who make it worthwhile," one sophomore reported.

Students also point out that time-management skills are key to handling the workload.

"Emory is definitely not an easy school in terms of academics, but what you get out of your education is very rewarding," one freshman said. "As long as you manage your time well, you should be able to manage your workload while keeping up with your social life."

47. University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

"I find it necessary to study a lot in order to keep up with my classes, but I enjoy the challenge, and for the first time in my life I am actually enjoying the learning process," one sophomore said. "It is so different from high school, but so much more interesting. To me, the study time doesn't feel like work. I actually enjoy it."

44. Rhode Island School of Design

"The thing about RISD is that you go here knowing that you will work your butt off," one student said. "The workload is outstanding, the classes are much longer than [at] most other art schools, the curriculum is more intensive, and most every professor is a professional practicing artist."

43. Colorado College

"The workload is hard. You have three and a half weeks to learn an entire semester's worth of material," one sophomore said. "Sometimes you read a few hundred pages a night for a week and then write a ten-page paper in twelve hours."

They added:

With that said, you get the chance to be fully immersed in the coursework and achieve a deep understanding of what you are studying. The intense block schedule also allows for field trips and projects that you would not get at other schools, which is great for sciences like geology and zoology.

41. Pomona College

"You will learn so much and you will be so challenged, but it will never be at the expense of your own individuality and well-being," a junior said. "Your peers will be brilliant and inspiring, and because the work can be so rigorous at times, there's a huge capital on genuine collaboration. Furthermore, it's easy to do well here if you seek out the help of your classmates and professors, who are always available."

40. Amherst College

"Everything is fast-paced and very intense, everything is discussed, and classes are for thinking rather than for learning the material," one freshman said. "We are expected to be prepared, and it's awesome to have such a high standard."

36. Vassar College

"The opportunity to grow under the guidance of academic giants is incredible. Office hours extend way beyond the afternoon and it's not uncommon to go for lunches with professors or be invited to their houses for long discussions," one freshman said. "Workload is challenging for anybody, but it's really what you make of it. There are more opportunities than people are even aware of, and [even more] should they go exploring the internship and fellowship offices."

35. Colorado School of Mines

"Mines is great on the academic side," one junior said. "The work load is difficult but reasonable. The professors are all very invested in your process of learning and provide plenty of help for your success."

34. Case Western Reserve University

"Workload is tough, everyone here is brilliant and has done pretty amazing things, professors are extremely knowledgeable and most are approachable, most people take advantage of study sessions every week, peer tutors are free and used frequently," one freshman said. "No blow-off classes. Prepare to work a lot, but learn a lot."

33. Wellesley College

"The class sizes are super small, so it really forces you to not skip class and also pay attention in class as well," one sophomore said. "Classes here are more interactive, and I really like that aspect because students become more involved and have more say."

32. Duke University

"Truly outstanding," one junior said. "Professors expect a lot, but are extremely knowledgeable about their topics. The competition is tough, making As hard to come by, so prepare to work very hard to receive grades you may not like."

The hard work pays off, though.

"Unbelievable school," one senior exclaimed. "So many opportunities and so much research being done. Honestly, if you can afford this place, it's worth your time."

31. Dartmouth College

"Academics at Dartmouth are great!" one sophomore said. "There is a class on anything you can imagine and the professors are always available and willing to talk to you during office hours. Professors are also always willing to offer lab work or internships."

30. Wake Forest University

"The academics at Wake, simply put, are as good as you'll find," one junior said. "All of the professors are incredibly intelligent and have a genuine interest in students and want to see them succeed. Fair warning though: The workload is an absolute beast; you will have to work, and you will have to work much harder than you did in high school."

29. University of Pennsylvania

"It is an Ivy League School, so there is really no needed explanation as to why the academics are excellent. What I will say is that you have to have initiative, because although no one will hold your hand, you will receive help if you go looking for it," a junior said. "There are plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning, but it is competitive and you need to make sure you are ambitious enough for the challenge."

28. Oberlin College

"Academics at Oberlin are hard, but most of the professors are wonderful and truly invested in their students," one junior said. "There is no curriculum, and students can basically take whatever they want. The workload is a lot, but since you get to choose everything you take, a lot of students are really invested and enjoy the work they are doing, so it isn't a big deal."

27. Northwestern University

"I love the academic rigor here," one sophomore commented. "I think the professors and TAs push you hard but they also want to help you do well. There isn't too much competition between students. The workload is heavy but not unmanageable."

25. Harvard University

"It not only offers the intellectual stimulation I am looking for, it offers courses taught by Harvard professors that are looking to expand their students' minds," one junior said. "It is the stepping stone I need in order to reach my goal of someday becoming the excellent doctor I hope to be."

24. Williams College

"The workload is fierce and Williams is not the place to come and slack off," a sophomore noted. "However, if you're looking for some of the best professors with the brightest students and the most resources before and after college, Williams might be the place for you."

23. Swarthmore College

"I came here for the academics, and I got what I wanted," one sophomore said. "Sometimes the workload can be overwhelming, but for the most part the student population is quite happy. The professors are excellent, are very easily accessible, and easy to get in touch with. The classes will teach you how to write, read, speak, and problem-solve very well. Also, discussions are incredible since everyone does the readings, comes from diverse backgrounds, and cares a lot about the subject."

22. US Military Academy at West Point

"Teachers are SUPER accommodating, and all majors try to give you really cool experiences, whether it's on campus or sending you to another country for free," one sophomore reported.

"The academics are incomparable," a recent graduate put in. "There are so many opportunities and experiences. They are challenging, but the teachers are outstanding and will always help, any time of the day or night."

21. Brown University

"Excellent academics are the cornerstone of a Brown education," a freshman said. "The open curriculum distinguishes Brown from other top schools, allowing students to take any classes they want as long as they satisfy requirements for a concentration."

19. University of California at Berkeley

"It is actually very hard to be practically any major here at Berkeley," a sophomore observed. "Students are very competitive, not in the sense that they try to run you over, but in the sense that everyone here is so intrinsically motivated to be the best."

18. Cornell University

"It's an Ivy-league school with a reputation to match," a recent graduate said. "The lecturers are great, the homework is challenging. They want you to think. They want you to work hard. I think they want you to learn."

17. Harvey Mudd College

"It's not difficult to tell why many of the students at Mudd are here — the academics are second to none," one freshman noted. "Challenging, engaging courses fill up pretty much every minute of the day and well into the night, but I don't know of anyone here who would have it any other way. Worth the workload, even if it is a large adjustment."

16. Carleton College

"Carleton has incredible academics," one senior said. "Professors are dynamic, engaging, and passionate about teaching, not just research and publishing. We were rated as having the best undergraduate teaching the other year, but I think it's long been known at Carleton that the school is a unique place to learn. Professors only teach two classes each time — leaving plenty of time to dedicate to meeting with students outside of the classroom, and to bringing their full energy and expertise to every single class."

15. University of Notre Dame

"The academics here are truly top-notch and I really feel like I'm getting the best education in the country," one sophomore said. "The classes are very difficult, but with hard work it is not impossible to still get good grades. The workload is definitely heavy but manageable."

13. TIE: Stanford University

"The professors are always helpful and understanding and they take your opinion into account," a recent graduate said. "The workload is very high, but the environment encourages hard work so no one complains. In general, everyone is happy to be here, helps each other out where they can, and gives 100% in every aspect to make their experiences worthwhile."

13. TIE: Middlebury College

"The classes are challenging and the professors are amazing," a sophomore commented. "They care about individuals and want to help us become successful in our field by learning and getting research jobs/internships."

12. Washington University in St. Louis

"The academics are rigorous, but rewarding," one freshman reported. "There are many opportunities for research, study-abroad programs, internships, etc. The school wants to create extraordinary and intelligent individuals who will be successful in the real world."

11. Johns Hopkins University

"Workload is difficult, but manageable if you work out a good schedule for yourself," one freshman advised. "There are plenty of study-aid options that the school definitely advertises at the beginning of the year with private tutoring, group-study sessions, office hours, TA help hours, etc."

10. College of William & Mary

"The academics are tough, and I've worked harder for my grades [here] than I've ever had to in my life," one freshman said. "But this school is continuing to churn out hundreds of highly intelligent, ambitious, and talented students every single year. There's a high expectation for people to succeed, and the college does an excellent job at supporting these ambitions."

9. Vanderbilt University

"It's very tough, but very doable with the right work ethic," one freshman said.

Students note that the excellent professors make the heavy workload more manageable, though.

"Very challenging, definitely requires adjustment from high school for nearly everyone. The professors are very engaged, however, and very willing to help (and truly do want to help) in almost every instance," another freshman said.

8. Columbia University

"Great faculty, motivated students, and spectacular opportunities for research in every field," a senior reported. "Not for the faint-of-heart, Columbia will give you the challenge you seek in every aspect of your college experience, and the academic sector is where the growth begins."

7. Bowdoin College

"Pretty tough academics, but you come out feeling like you know so much more not only about your major, but other things too — benefits of the liberal arts curriculum," an alum said. "The professors are very accessible, and the students aren't competitive at all, which honestly is for the best because we all study so much that it would be annoying to do it alone."

6. Princeton University

"It's hard to get much better academic focus than [at] Princeton University," one junior noted. "Because there doesn't exist much of a graduate school (no law, medicine, business schools), all of the professors are there primarily to teach, which leads to a fantastic undergraduate experience. Taking classes with professors who are known worldwide for their expertise on a subject is something that you simply can't get [at] very many other places."

3. Rice University

"The academics at Rice are top-notch. Our professors are incredible and constantly challenge us," one sophomore said. "Most classes are very small, allowing for meaningful interactions with both our professors and our peers. I've learned so much since I've been here, and the opportunity to explore and take fun classes has even led me to change my major. So far, I think classes have been both extremely fulfilling and intellectually stimulating."

2. University of Chicago

"Difficult, intense, amazing, and fulfilling," one freshman said. "Some of the brightest students in the world come here, and intellectual life on campus is some of the best intellectual life you'll ever get anywhere."

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"Academics at MIT [are] challenging. But it makes you think," a freshman noted. "You're not just handed the answer or asked to regurgitate what the professor has taught you. You solve problems, learn the underlying principles of complex ideas, derive equations that you were given in high school in order to figure out how things work, and do so much more. MIT brings new meaning to learning, and they make sure you get out truly knowing what you have studied."

The work pays off, too.

"You'll work harder in school than you ever have, but it's entirely worth it," one sophomore said. "The faculty are amazing, and there are always a wealth of internship and job opportunities."